Conard girls soccer hosted Bristol Center in West Hartford on Friday, Oct. 17, playing to a scoreless draw on Senior Night.

Sports reporting is sponsored by Keating Agency Insurance

By Cole Schweiger

With emotions running high and the crowd buzzing, the Conard girls soccer team celebrated Senior Night in West Hartford on Friday with a hard-fought 0-0 draw against Bristol Central at Robert McKee Stadium.

The tie brings Conard’s record to 5-8-2, while Bristol Central moves to 7-5-3. For the Red Wolves, the match held extra significance – it was a must-not-lose scenario, with a chance to qualify for the CIAC Class LL state tournament still alive.

Before kickoff, Conard honored its nine seniors: Charlotte Aubrey, Eve Buczynski, Asha Comiso, Namiah Heller, Paige Lopes, Brooke Oliver, Allison Refici, Madelyn Rogers, and Annabel Tracy. Families, teammates, and friends were emotional as they celebrated the class of 2025 with cheers, flowers, and heartfelt tributes.

One of the most touching moments came at the start of the match, when injured senior Annabel Tracy – sidelined for the season with a foot and ankle injury – was given the opportunity to take the field one final time. Conard purposefully turned over the ball on the opening kickoff so Tracy could pass it to a teammate, receiving a loud cheer from the home crowd.

“I thought that we were all really hyped and excited because it was our night, senior night,” said senior midfielder Namiah Heller. “We knew that if we won or tied this game we would have an opportunity to qualify for the tournament.”

Heller praised the energy on the field: “Everyone was so happy, on and off the field, cheering on the entire time, celebrating and not leaving anyone behind. We were working together and communicating about what we can do to connect better and play together as a team.”

The match itself was a defensive showcase from both sides. In the first half, Conard generated several promising chances, with Caitlin Walsh, Lopes, and Rogers testing the Bristol Central defense. But both goalkeepers and back lines held firm, sending the teams into halftime scoreless.

The second half followed a similar script, with Conard defenders Brooklyn Knowles and Buczynski anchoring the back line and Evelyn Black making key saves in net to preserve the clean sheet.

Conard’s best chance came late in the second half, when a miscue by Bristol Central’s goalkeeper left the net wide open. Multiple Red Wolves attackers swarmed the goal area, but the final touch was just out of reach.

In the end, neither side could break through, and the game concluded in a scoreless draw – Conard’s second tie of the season.

With one regular season game remaining, Conard now turns its focus to a high-stakes rivalry clash with Hall (6-6-3) on Tuesday at 3:45 p.m.. A win or a tie will secure their spot in the state tournament. A loss will bring their season to a close.

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